Hinged presser-foot



Jan. 19, 1954 J. P. ENOS 2,666,405

HINGED PRESSER-FOOT Filed June 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Jan.19, 1954 os 2,666,405

HINGED PRESSER-FOOT Filed June 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

- BY Jivlm PEnas WITNESS 4?? ATTORNEY 1 embodying the present invention;

Patented Jan. 19, 1954 HINGED PRESSER-FOOT John P. Enos, Union, N. J.,assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application June 5, 1951, Serial No. 229,978

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly todarning or embroidering attachments designed for use with a number ofdifferent types of family sewing machines.

When a family type sewing machine is used for darning or embroidering itis desirable either to render the work feeding mechanism of the sewingmachine ineffective in a manner such as is described in U. S. Patent No.1,879,191, or if the sewing machine is not equipped for rendering thefeeding'mechanism ineffective, it is desirable to cover the feed-dog ofthe sewing machine so that the work being darned or embroidered will notbe engaged by the feed-dog. One type of feed-dog cover-plate formerlyused is shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,122,999. Darning and embroidering isusually done with the help of a work-holder similar to that shown inPatent No. 2,325,515. When such a work-holder is used, it is desirableto provide some means by which the work-holder may easily be passedunder the presser mechanism of the sewing machine. This is especiallynecessary when the available space below the bottom of the pressermechanism is reduced by the use of a feed-dog cover-plate of the typeforming the subject of the present patent application. One means thatmight possibly be used for providing increased space below thepresser-bar of a sewing machine is disclosed in U. S. Patent No.349,439. Devices heretofore generally used have for the most part beendesigned for use with one particular type of sewing machine and thus oneobject of the present invention is toprovide improved darning and,embroidering attachments for use with a number of various types ofsewing machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved feed-dogcover-plate that may be attached to any one of several types of sewingmachines.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved presser-footthat is especially adapted for use during darning and embroideringoperations.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises I the devices, combinations and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsof a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the severalfeatures of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a sewing machine, partly insection, and showing a presser mechanism and a feed-dog cover-plate Fig.2 is a front elevational view of the pressermechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2a is an exploded perspective view of the presser-mechanism shownin Fig. 2;

Fig. 3'is a side elevational view of the pressermechanism as seen in thedirection of the arrow 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. i represents a section of the presser-foot taken on the line 5-4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a top-plan view of the bed-plate of one type of sewing machineshowing the feed-dog cover-plate secured thereto, the bracket-arm of themachine being shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the feed-dog cover-plate shown in Fig.5;

Figs. 7 and 8 show a modified form of feed-dog cover-plate; Fig. 7 beingthe top plan View and Fig. 8 being a bottom plan view thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 5-9 of Fig. 7.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, wherein Figs. 1 through 6disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a sewingmachine having a substantially rectangular bedplate or base 25,providing on its upper side a work-support plate 22 and having a hingedextension plate 23. A hollow standard 22 (Fig. 5) rises from the bed 2!and carries an overhanging bracket-arm (not shown) terminating in a head26 (Fig. 1) and housing the usual reciprocating needle-bar 2'1 andpresser-bar 28.

The work-support 22 is provided with a throatplate 29 having feed slots3i, through which operates a serrated feed-dog 32. The needle-bar 21 hasheld thereto by a clamp 33, a reciprocatory needle 34, which cooperateswith sewing instrumentalities (not shown) but which are disposed belowthe throat-plate 29 to form stitches in a well known manner. Thework-support plate has a pair of threaded holes indicated generally inFig. 5 by the numerals 3S and 3?. These holes 36 and 3? areconventionally provided in most family-type sewing machines and areintended for locating and securing various forms of attachments to thework-support plate 22.

Presser-mechanism The presser-mechanism, as best seen in Figs. 2 through4, comprises a conventional U-shaped attaching shank 38 of which one legand a bridge 9 are provided with a notch 45. When the presser-mechanismis supported from the presser-bar 28, the U-shaped shank 33 embraces thelower end of the presser-bar 23 and is secured thereto by a clamp-screwlocated in the notch M. The other leg at of the U-shaped shank 38 hasformed integral therewith an upstanding post 44 having an offset ear 48substantially midway of its length. The upper end ll of the post is hasan integrally formed horizontally extending bar member is embraced by aresilient tube 49 which may be of rubber. The tube 49 is positioned tobe engaged and lifted by a portion of the needle-bar clamp 33 each timethe needle-bar approaches the upper limit of its travel. A pivot screw5! threaded into the offset ear portion of the upstanding post Mihingedly supports a presser-arm 52 which is forwardly offset as at 52and carries at its lower or free end a presser-foot 5% which dependsbelow and to one side of the presser-foot shank 38. The leg 43 of theU-shaped shank 3% also has an integrally formed, folded back wing 56that provides a vertically extending slot 51 for receiving a portion ofthe presser-arm 52. Intermediate the ends or the presser-foot carryingarm 52 there is formed a backwardly extending loop 58 from which dependsthe free end of a presserfoot latching member in the form of a springlatch arm 59. This arm 59 extends downwardly at an angle ofapproximately 45 degrees, and at its lower end is provided with a hole6!; the extreme end of the arm 52 being bent outwardly as at E2, to forma handle piece 63. The hole Si in the latch arm 59 is positioned to beenteredby a pin or complemental latch-element 65 carried on the outersurface of the previously mentioned folded back wing 5%. Engagement ofthe hole 61 by the pin 64 holds the hinge presserarm 52 in its operativeposition.

Covcwplate A feed-dog cover-plate T l, which is best shown in Figs. 5and 6 and is designed to fit most familytype sewing machines, is in theform of a dished plate which is substantially pear-shaped in outline,and has a circular portion ii, a neck or shank-arm portion '53, and adepending rolled edge E4. The circular portion '52 of the plate "H isapertured by an elongated slot "55 positioned to allow passage of theneedle of the sewing machine. The shank-arm "it of the plate "ii. isprovided with a hole ii for accommodating a threaded thumb-screw it forpivotally in'ountii the plate ii upon the free end of a curved baseplate 19 which has a threaded hole it entered by the screw The other endof the base-plate 79 has an elongated fastener screw receiving slot 82that is fashioned to register with the standard attachment-holes 36 andin the bed-plate of the sewing machine. The elongated slot 82countersunk in its upper face as at E33 and thereby accommodates theheads of pair of flathead machine screws 35 and The under surf-ace 88 ofthe free end of the plate is covered byan adhesively held crescentshaped felt pad 35 which extends slightly below the level of the rollededge Te, thereby providing a non-scratching surface for engaging theupper, usually painted surface, of the work-support plate 22. Alugmember Si is secured to and depends from the lower surface 88 or" theplate H, while a curved rib member 92 depends from the same surface 88.These depending members fil and 82 act as guides to properly positionthe plate it with respect to the base plate 15;.

Operation When it is desired to perform darning or er broi eringoperations, the presser mechanism of this invention is secured in placeby the clampscrew d2. Next by removing the thumbv screw 78,

the feed-dog cover-plate 'ii is disconnected from the base-plate '59.Then the anchor-plate i9 is secured by means of the screws Bil-87 to thework-support 22 in the position shown in Fig. 5. Thereafter, thefeed-dog cover-plate ll is again secured to the base-plate 19 by thethumb-screw [8 care being taken that the end of the baseplate 19, whichcontains the slot 82, is positioned between the lug 9i and the rib 92.This positions the elongated needle-slot '55 in register with the needle34. Then the operator presses the handle 63 of the spring latch 59sufiiciently to disengage the hole 65 from the pin 5 This permitsswinging the presser-arm 52 from the lowered operative position shown insolid lines in Figs. 1 and 2 to the upper or raised inoperative positionshown in dotted lines. In the raised position, every part of thepresser-arm 52, the offset 53 and the presser-foot "i i are above thelowermost end of the shank 3%. Then the needlebar 21 and the needle 3dare moved, in a known manner, to the highest position. This permits theoperator to slide the work to be darned or embroidered, and whichpreferably is carried on a work-holder, similar to that indicated in 1by the numeral 95, beneath the sewing machine head 25. Then thepresser-arm 52 is swung from the dotted position shown in Figs. 1 and 2to the position shown therein by solid lines. The sewing machine is nowready to perform darning or embroidering operations. When it becomesnecessary to raise the hinged extension-plate 23 of the bed-plate of themachine, in order to replace the lower thread supply or to store thesewing machine in a cabinet, the thumb-screw T8 is loosened sufficientlyto permit movement of the cover-plate from the position shown by solidlines in Fig. 5 to the position shown by dotted lines.

Modification The modified form of feed-dog cover-plate, shown in Figs.7, 8 and 9, is designated as I l and comprises an inverted dished andgenerally circular portion 12 having rolled edges i l and from one sideof which extends a shank-arm 73. The under side of the plate H has acrescent shaped felt pad similar to that discussed in connection withFigs. 5 and 6. The circular portion 72- of the plate H is apertured bytwo elongated slots 16' and 96. The slot 16 is positioned to allowpassage of the needle and the other slot iii? is in register with andpermits access to another elongated slot 82, presently to be discussed.The shank arm 13' of the feed-dog cover plate "H" is provided with ahole 11 for accommodating a pivot screw 18 by which the plate llpivotally mounted upon a support member or base-plate 79 that is held tothe support plate 22 of the sewing machine by a pair of screws (notshown but similar to screws 86 and 81 previously mentioned). Thesescrews enter the previously mentioned threaded holes 363! in the machinebed-plate. The screws 86 and 8? pass through a slotted hole 82 which iscountersunk as at 83, and the screws are accessible through the H bymeans of the previously mentioned oblong. hole or screw access slot 96in the cover-plate II. The base-plate 79 has threaded thereto athumb-screw 98 positioned in. a curved notch 9s formed in the outer endof the shank 73 of the cover-plate arm 1 I and by which the cover-plateH can be locked in place. When the thumb screw 98 is loosened, thecover-plate H may beswung on the screw T8, thereby to move the plate 'H'from above the hook or shuttle of the particular sewing machine withwhich the same is being used.

The modified form of cover-plate H is used in much the same way as thefeed-dog cover-plate H shown in Figs. and 6; the major diiference beingthat the anchor-plate I9 is, by means of the screw 18' semi-permanentlysecured to the feed-dog cover-plate 1|, and in that access to thefastening screws 86 and 81 (not shown in Figs. 7 and 8) are obtainedthrough the oblong hole 96 in the feed-dog cover-plate 1|.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis: V

1. A presser mechanism forsewing machines having a presser-bar and aneedle-bar, comprising an attaching shank, a post rising from saidshank, a horizontal bar secured to the upper end of said post andpositioned for engagement by a portion of said needle-bar, apresser-foot carrying arm pivotally mounted upon said post for swing outmovement of the presser-foot from an operative position below to aninoperative position above the level of the lower portion of said shank,a presser-foot latching member carried by said presser-arm, and acomplemental latchelement carried by said shank.

2. A presser mechanism for sewing machines, comprising, an attachingshank, a post rising from said shank, an offset ear substantially midwayof said post, a presser-foot carrying arm pivotally mounted upon saidpost adjacent said oflset ear for swing out movement of the presserfootfrom an operative position below to an inoperative position above thelevel of the lower portion of said shank, a presser-foot latching membercarried by said presser-arm, and a complemental latch-element carried bysaid shank.

3. A presser mechanism for sewing machines, comprising, an attachingshank, a post rising from said shank, a presser-foot carrying arm pivotally mounted upon said post for swing out movement of the presser-footfrom an operative position below to an inoperative position above thelevel of the lower portion of said shank, a folded back portion formedintegral with said shank thereby forming a vertically extending slot forreceiving a portion of said presser-foot carrying arm, a presser-footlatching member carried by said presser-foot carrying arm, and acomplemental latch-element carried by said shank.

4. A presser mechanism for sewing machines, comprising, an attachingshank, a post rising from said shank, a presser-foot carrying armpivotally mounted upon said post for swing out movement of thepresser-foot from an operative position below to an inoperative positionabove the level of the lower portion of said shank, a

folded back portion formed integral with said shank thereby forming avertically extending slot for receiving a portion of said presser-footcarrying arm, a presser-foot latching member including a spring loopformed integral with an intermediate portion of said presser-footcarrying arm and depending therefrom at an angle of forty-five degrees,and a complemental latchelement carried by said folded back portion.

JOHN P. ENOS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 225,274 Diehl Mar. 9, 1380 235,456 Rose Dec. 14, 1880 349,439Looker Sept. 21, 1886 937,112 Stafford Oct. 19, 1909 1,122,999 PettitDec. 29, 1914 1,306,752 Devoe June 17, 1919 1,726,450 Pettit Aug. 27,1929 1,981,837 Hemleb Nov. 20, 1934 2,024,435 Eames Dec. 17, 1935

